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new england

Covered Bridges in Vermont

February 27, 2013 by info@3QuartersToday.com

Vermont has more covered bridges per square mile than any other state in the United States. An official covered bridge is not determined by age, but the method on how it is built, by trusses and a covered slanted roof. I have always had a fascination with covered bridges and although I had grown up in Connecticut I had never walked across one this piece of Americana.

Middle Bride in Woodstock, VT
Covered bridge in Woodstock Vermont

Last week I crossed this off my bucket list when I visited Woodstock Vermont and walked across Middle Bridge. I had another surprise as we took the scenic route down Rte 106 and found this picturesque bridge over a small creek.

Covered Bridge south of Woodstock Vermont
Covered Bridge south of Woodstock Vermont

The most famous bridges are those of Madison County in Iowa, so I really didn’t need to travel far from Nebraska to find covered bridges, but there is something special, romantic, and mystical about covered bridges in Vermont.

Facts About Covered Bridges

  1. First covered bridge was built in 1808 over the Mohawk river in New York
  2. Vermont contains 100 authentic covered bridges
  3. At one time the United States has over 10,000 covered bridges, 750 remain today
  4. Covered bridges are painted red because iron ochre was an inexpensive pigment.
  5. Bridges were covered to prevent the wood dry and prevent rot (not to keep horses from spooking over the water)
  6. Town Lattice is the most popular style of covered bridge
  7. There are only 8 railroad covered bridges in the United States, only 2 still function during tourist events.
  8. Only six covered bridges still carry two way traffic all the rest are one way only.
  9. Covered bridges can be found in 30 states in the United States
Related articles
  • Covered Bridges of Vermont on Amazon
  • Additional photos of Middle Bridge
  • List of Covered bridges in Vermont
  • Chitwood Covered Bridge in Lincoln County is south of U.S. 20 at milepost 17, (oregonlive.com)
  • Travel Theme – Bridges. (thegingerbreadcafe.wordpress.com)
  • A new section… Covered Bridges (houseofwoogeroo.wordpress.com)

Filed Under: Travel Adventures Tagged With: architecture, Bridge, country, Covered bridge, history, nature, new england, Photography, rural, snow, transportation, travel, Vacation, Vermont, water, winter

Rivers in Connecticut

February 22, 2013 by info@3QuartersToday.com

Connecticut is where I grew up, however I took the scenery, trees, beaches, rivers and streams for granted. I’ve lived in the Midwest for thirty years and although I love everything about the Nebraska, I do miss the the easy access to water.

In New England the Connecticut River takes center stage. It is the longest river in New England and flows from New Hampshire and empties into Long Island Sound.  It serves as the state boundary between Vermont and New Hampshire and is 407 miles long.

Farmington River in Connecticut
Farmington River in Connecticut in the Winter

Out of the over 50 tributaries of the Connecticut River I spent many summers during high school tubing on the Farmington River.  Even in Connecticut there is white water to navigate to give the challenging adventurer an adrenaline rush. The Farmington River Tubing Company provides a 2.5 miles ride, complete with tubes, lifejackets and a ride back up to your car. Can’t find white water in Nebraska. Tubing in Nebraska is more like a lazy float trip.

I’m spending a few days in Connecticut on family business and thought I would take the opportunity to get some photography in at the same time. Obviously the river in February is a little cold and nope, I’m not going to take the polar plunge and even test the water temperature.

  • Connecticut River and it’s Tributaries
  • The Connecticut River: A Photographic Journey into the Heart of New England (Garnet Books)

Filed Under: Travel Adventures Tagged With: Connecticut, Connecticut River, Farmington River, farmington river tubing, Long Island Sound, nature, Nebraska, new england, New Hampshire, Outdoors, river, summer activities, travel, tubing on the farmington river, Vermont, water

Photo Editing An Overcast Day in Lightroom

August 24, 2012 by info@3QuartersToday.com

For this edition of #FixitFriday photo editing I’m going to work on some of my favorite photos from last summer and in the process relive my Block Island dream trip.

My camera that year was a glorified point and shoot Fuji 1500S and I had not learned how to read histograms in camera.  I only had the option of JPS and can only dream of the possibilities if I had the RAW option. Most of the time the skies were overcast and cloudy, good when avoiding a sun burn, but I found it to be a photography challenge. The camera meter was reading the glare coming from the water and surrounding ocean. The result were photos that leaned toward the dark side, the cloudy skies were flat and drab. Although I reworked them a bit in Photoshop CS2 I still didn’t get good results.

Now that I use Adobe Lightroom  as my primary photo editing software program I have a much wider range of options with clarity, decreasing noise, saturation and tonal adjustments. I can instantly see before and after views and it is all non destructive to the original image. I love Lightroom, it is a wonderful photo editing program, every time I open an image I wasn’t quite happy with I find I can make it better even a jpg file. I can finally make a photo look like how I experienced the the scene in real life.

My goal with photo editing is realism. I’m not trying to create photo art, or make a photo look fake or something it wasn’t. The human eye can interpret a scene a the beach with so much more clarity and detail than a camera. Sometimes it takes some post production here and there with photography to return the photograph into an accurate depiction of reality.

Photo editing in Lightroom 4
Lightroom 4 screen shot (click for larger image)

I always shot on aperture priority and as a result many of my images were underexposed. These dark images took more editing than just increasing the exposure, I opened up the shadows, and eliminated the camera noise in the Lightroom detail option by moving the noise slider to the right.

On the left side of the Adobe Lightroom screen shot there are User Presets. Presets are saved adjustments you can use again for an image of the same type. For example overexposed images in bright sun is called “Dim the Summer  Sun” or “Bright and Sharp” for an underexposed image. Once a preset is saved it can adjusted and resaved under the same name. Presets save time when you have a batch of images under the same lighting that require the same adjustment.

Below is the straight out of camera shot and the resulting end photo in Lightroom.

SOOC (straight out of camera)
SOOC (straight out of camera)

Edited version, what do you think?

Edited Block Island photo in Lightroom 4
Edited Block Island photo in Lightroom 4

What is the Best Program For Editing Photos?

If you were to ask me what my favorite photo editing program is I would have to say Lightroom. There are many features I love about the program but my favorite is Lightrooms high dynamic range in opening up shadows and not blowing out my highlights. I also love the ability to edit a batch of photos in seconds with the settings from my previous photo.

But I still use Photoshop for my graphic designs involving text and layers. Adobe has a wonderful subscription program where for only $10 per month you can use both Photoshop and Lightroom creative Cloud all you want with no obligation.

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5Adobe Creative Cloud Photography plan (Photoshop CC + Lightroom) [Digital Membership]Adobe Photoshop Elements 13The Photoshop Workbook: Professional Retouching and Compositing Tips, Tricks, and TechniquesPhotoshop Elements 13 For Dummies (For Dummies Series)

 

Related Photo Editing Articles

  • Take Better Photographs in 30 Days (http://www.squidoo.com/take-better-photographs-in-30-days)
  • Photo Friday: Lilly Pads in Lightroom (ndjmom.wordpress.com)
  • Adobe Lightroom after the shoot! (photokitfrost.wordpress.com)
  • Using Lightroom 4: Black and White Conversion (ndjmom.wordpress.com)

 

Filed Under: Photography, Travel Adventures Tagged With: adobe, beach, Block Island, Lightroom, new england, ocean, photo editing, Photography, Rhode island, rocks, Vacation

Seaport Fence

March 16, 2012 by info@3QuartersToday.com

Seaport Fence with Buoys

One of the benefits of not doing a 365 Project this year is the flexibility to use one of the thousands (yes, thousands) of pictures that didn’t make last years cut. Or, I can pull up an image from years ago, a forgotten neglected image from years gone by.

This fence on Block Island just called me over with the buoys hanging all in a row above the sunflowers. It is so New England and the overcast weather is probably comparably to what it is now, minus the sunflowers.

Photoshop processing: Levels, shadows and highlights, an artist plastic wrap effect at a low opacity and then a final sharpen unmask.

Related articles
  • The NEW AND IMPROVED South Street Seaport Museum (mrdsneighborhood.com)
  • And the winners are! (passingbeforemyeyes.wordpress.com)

Filed Under: Photography Tagged With: Block Island, boats, new england, ocean, Photography, Photoshop, post production, Rhode island, sea, seashore

Day 235/365: Crescent Beach on Block Island

August 16, 2011 by info@3QuartersToday.com

My Favorite Place on Earth

If someone asked me where my favorite place on earth would be I would say Block Island. This tiny strip of earth is located 12 miles off shore of Rhode Island and is only accessible by ferry from Point Judith or Old Saybrook. I believe there is another ferry launch area, but we always left from Rhode Island, even though I lived in East Hartford. I started going to Block Island when I was in high school and during the 1980’s we walked off the boat and parked our beach blankets on the sands of Crescent Beach.

Crescent Beach, Block Island RI
Crescent Beach, Block Island RI

Crescent Beach is the most popular beach on Block Island, it’s within easy walking distance from the Ferry Docks, has a full service beach house complete with showers, bathrooms, and a wonderful concessions to eat lunch. Block Island is an oasis in New England. The soft white sands are a contrast to the rocky pebbly beaches of Connecticut and the water is sparkling blue.

Personalized Block Island Beach Towel

Much of this is due to being twelve miles off shore and away from the sheltered waterways of Long Island Sound which tend to “trap” pollution, debris and make the beaches a little foamy and dirtier. Block Island reminds me of the Caribbean, a little slice of heaven.

Relaxing at the beach
Relaxing at the beach

Information About Block Island

A Long Paddle and a Celebration of Clean Water

The longest paddle of the season, the 10th annual Block challenge, is scheduled for August 29, when paddlers will take off from Montauk Point and paddle 18 miles through Block Island Sound to Block Island. Nearly 70 paddlers competed in Saturday’s …

Bluffs of Block Island, Superstorm Sandy Research | Rhode …

Bluffs of Block Island, Superstorm Sandy Research. Willimantic, Conn. – When Superstorm Sandy made landfall in the Northeast on Oct. 29, 2012, it left in its wake extensive erosion along the coast of Block Island, RI.

Block Island Vacation Rental House – Vacation Rentals

Block Island Vacation Rental House. Rhode Island vacation rentals. Lynn’ s Way is a large Block Island Vacation House: Great for family vacations, weddings, reunions, events and parties. Spacious and comfortable, Gourmet kitchen, large …

The Roundtable.: A Block Island Photo Album

Apropos of nothing, we offer a tidy little Block Island photo album, images taken just 24 hours apart showing the quick-change nature of our New England climate. Photos by Lars Trodson. It was quiet on the island on the night …

Dog Friendly Block Island, RI – Block Island Family Vacation

Joining the lucky dogs of dog friendly Block Island? Bringing your best friend on vacation is what makes it a vacation. Block Island is a haven for dogs. A vast majority of islanders have dogs. If you happen to see a dog without an owner …

Block Island House Rental: Block Island Waterfront

Block Island Waterfront. Rhode Island vacation rentals. Charming four bedroom home overlooking Cormorant Cove on picturesque Block Island. Very private location, surrounded by conservation land. Excellent condition including all up- to- …

Summer Internship Position Available | The Block Island …

Would you love to work outdoors on Block Island this summer? Spend your time on, in and around the water and its marine life? If so, you definitely need to be our intern. Please read the job responsibilities and requirements …

Filed Under: Project 365, Travel Adventures Tagged With: 365project, beach, Block Island, memories, new england, Photography, postaday, project365, Rhode island, shore, Vacation

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